Goodyear welt



Nov. 9, 1937. w BR WN 2,098,911

GOODYEAR WELT Filed March 3, 1937 lllllllllllll Patented Nov. 9, 1937PATENT OFFHZE.

GOODYEAR WELT William Brown, Quakertown, Pa., assignor to Me- Adoo &Allen Wclting Company, Quakertown, Pa., a partnership consisting ofWilliam Mc- Adoo, Jr., Henry M. McAdoo, and George H.

Allen.

Application March 3, 1937, Serial No. 128,735

1 Claim.

In some, so-called, cemented or Compo shoes, Goodyear welts are attachedto the uppers and to the insoles, if present, and the Goodyear welts arecemented to the outsoles with their flesh sides toward the outsoles.When the outsoles Y and welts are flexed lengthwise the cement betweenthem is subjected to a shearing action. This shearing action, at leastin part, may be explained as due to the fact that the inherentelasticity of the layer or film of cement in respect to, for example,the outsole is opposed by adherence to the flesh side of the welt. Thisshearing action is also present in cases where the outsole is sewn tothe welts.

One object of the present invention is to reduce the fibrous density ofthe flesh side portion of the welt and therefore to permit it to freelyfollow the contraction and elongation of the layer or film of cement,when the outsole and welt are flexed without setting up a shearingstrain or stress.

Another object of the invention is to improve the wearing quality ofshoes having Goodyear welts and made by the cementing process, moreparticularly in respect to the maintenance of the union of the outsoleswith the welts.

Another object of the invention is, by reducing the density of the fleshside portion of the welt, to better adapt the welt for general use, andto permit of the successful use of stock having a harder, closer ordenser fibrous structure.

To these and other ends hereinafter set forth or appearing the inventiongenerally stated consists in Goodyear welting having the fibrous densityof its flesh side reduced Where it is cemented to the outsole so thatthe opposition of the welt to the elongation and contraction of thelayer or film of cement when the outsole is flexed is reduced andshearing stresses and strains are lessened and minimized. The inventionalso consists in fitting Goodyear welting for use in shoes made by thecementing process as Well as in shoes made by the regular Goodyearprocess and other shoes, by slashing its flesh side between (its stitchgroove and the opposite edge with a series of spaced crosswise rangingslits extending inward from the edge and stopping short of the stitchgroove with or without an undercut slash or series of slashes extendingparallel with the stitch groove. I

The invention also comprises the improvements to be presently describedand finally claimed.

In the following description reference will be made to the accompanyingdrawing forming part hereof and in which: I

Figure 1 is a view of the flesh side of a Goodyear welt embodyingfeatures of the invention.

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view of the same.

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic side view of a portion of a shoe havingcemented to its outsole a Goodyear welt embodying features of theinvention, and

Figure 4 is a top or plan view, diagrammatic in character, of a Goodyearwelt embodying features of the invention.

Referring to Figure 1, there is illustrated a Goodyear welt of leatherequipped with the usual stitch groove I, and provided on its flesh sidewith a series of spaced crosswise ranging slashes 2, extending inwardfrom its outside edge and stopping short of the stitch groove. It may beremarked that while these slashes appear quite prominently in thedrawing they are scarcely visible in the welt itself. 3 is a slashranging lengthwise of the welt and it is undercut toward the stitchgroove I. This undercut slash 3 inter sects the slashes 2. There may beprovided more than one slash 3.

The effect of the described slashes is to reduce the fibrous density ofthe stock of the welt where it is cemented to the outsole 4 as by alayer, film or the like of cement or other appropriate like material.The word slash is used herein in its trade sense, meaning gashes or cutsthat do not extend clear through, but substantially into the body, forexample they may extend about one third of the way through at theirdeepest parts.

When the parts are cemented together and the outsole is flexed the layeror film of cement is sufliciently elastic to elongate and contract whilefirmly adherent to the outsole. The fact that the portion of the welttowhich the cement is adherent is of reduced fibrous density by reason ofthe described slashes permits it to come and go with the cement when theoutsole is flexed so that shearing strains and stresses are avoided. Thereduction of the fibrous density of the stock is also advantageousgenerally, since it improves hard, close fibre stock and makes it usefulfor Goodyear welts generally, and it imparts flexibility andworkability.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which the inventionrelates that modifications may be made in details of construction andarrangement without departing from the spirit of the invention which isnot limited in respect to such matters or otherwise than as the priorart vided to a uniform depth with a slash ranging and the appended claimmay'require. lengthwise of the welt and undercut toward the I claim:stitch groove and intersecting the first men- A unitary Goodyear weltadapted to be cetioned slashes, and which reduces the fibrous mented toan outsole and provided on its flesh density of the stock of the weltandopposes shear- 5 side with a series of spaced crosswise ranging ing atthe cement. slashes extending inward from its outside edge 7 WILLIAMBROWN. and. stopping short of its stitch groove and pro-

